The Politics of Philanthropy

Earlier this year, Melinda Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced an initiative to invest billions of dollars into increasing contraceptive access for women. Anybody with a mailbox or cable subscription knows it’s a somewhat risky move: whether we’re talking about contraceptives, abortion rights, or funding for Planned Parenthood, women’s issues have been front and center throughout the long election season. We wanted to know more about the collision of philanthropy and politics, and take a general look at the state of philanthropy, so we got in touch with Stacy Palmer –editor of The Chronicle of Philanthropy.